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Abstract
Effective and less toxic biologics have revolutionized rheumatology as well as hepatology over the last decennia resulting in higher therapeutic goals. Traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (tDMARDs) failing to achieve a quiescent chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondylarthropathic arthritis (SA) inflammatory disease, nowadays are to be switched into a more potent strategy with ultimately a combination of tDMARD plus TNF inhibitors (TNFi) early in disease. Patients with previous microbiological infections however present a challenge for a modern rheumatologist aiming at complete remission, particularly in carriers of viral infections. Hepatologists nowadays, can treat chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections effectively with potent antivirals. In the current issue an overview is given regarding patients in whom TNFi may be indicated, but also have been infected with viral hepatitis.
Declaration of interest
No funding was received in preparation of this manuscript. TL Jansen has received advisory board and speakers fees from Abbott, BMS, Pfizer, Roche, UCB and Menarini/Ipsen. CJJ Mulder has nothing to disclose.